Different Territory
by secwaters
Summary: A story about the Swallows, Amazons, Ds and Eels as adults set after WWII, showing how they have grown up. It is written really for adults who read the original books as children (hence the T rating, there is nothing to alarm or offend.) Apologies for the formatting errors - this was my first posting!
1. Chapter 1

DIFFERENT TERRITORY

not by the author of Swallow and Amazons

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><p>CONTENTS<p>

I LOST?

II WELCOME

III THE VISITOR

IV EXPLANATIONS

V PREPERATIONS

VI THE JOURNEY

VII AN ARRIVAL

VIII ABSENT FRIENDS

IX ANOTHER SURPRISE

X JOHN'S PLAN

XI TREKKING

XII TITTY'S DISCOVERY

XIII RETURN JOURNEY

XIV DISCOVERY REVEALED

XV FAREWELL

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><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE<p>

The last of the adventures of the Swallows, Amazons, Ds and their compatriots is recounted in 'Great Northern?' This was, it has been suggested, a tale invented by the characters themselves in the same way as 'Peter Duck' and 'Missee Lee.' So after 'The Picts and The Martyrs' set in 1933 we know nothing of them, and of course then war intervenes, six years in which all of them have their individual adventures. By 1947 their lives have, in the main, settled down and some of them are brought together, all in their twenties, adults ready to pursue new paths in their lives. This tale tells of their crossing paths and its consequences.

_A resident of Secret Water._

_2013_

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><p>TO<p>

J FOR MAKING MY ENTIRE LIFE WORTH LIVING.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER I<p>

LOST?

**T**he speeding Land Rover with a female driver and one female passenger, the only vehicle anyone would have seen in the hills that afternoon, suddenly braked and pulled off the dirt track in to a narrow turning that led after a short distance to the gated entrance of a field.

"We're lost you tame galoot!" Nancy, who was driving, shouted at her sister, Peggy, in the passenger seat who was holding an unfolded map spread out on her knees.

"No we're not, just keep on this track!" Despite her feeling of indignation, the war years had taught Peggy not to be so in awe and, on occasions such as this, intimidated by her sister as she had been during their childhood. Nancy grabbed the map from her almost ripping it, looked around at the Welsh landscape that surrounded them, she made a mental note of the position of the higher hills to the starboard side of her, vehicle or no vehicle things were always port or starboard, then glanced at the map. A quick glance and she thrust it back to Peggy and then furiously changed gear, released the handbrake and pulled away back on to the track.

"Of course, that last turning, why didn't you say!" Nancy shouted at Peggy, who knew there was no point in answering. This would be the closest Nancy would come to admitting her mistake to Peggy and that she had been right all along.

The Welsh hills and mountains in the distance, and the river and lake ahead of them, reminded them both of their childhood home, Beckfoot and the lake, that part of the world they were always sorry to leave and would return to as often as they could possibly do so.

For a short time they travelled in silence. Nancy then spoke, as if nothing had happened.

"So what news of the others?" The war had ended nearly a year ago, and though they had all kept in contact through those troubled years Peggy was the one of the two sisters who made the effort and wrote to everyone, Titty in particular, passing on what she heard in reply to Nancy.

"John says Dick still won't talk about what he did in the war, he just wipes his spectacles as always and says 'that will have to remain an enigma', but he's got a new job, he now works for Lyons."

"The 'Lyons'? What! In a Corner House?" Nancy joked about it as she often did when stuck for something to say

"No, in some kind of research, something about an electronic office, John says it doesn't make any sense to him but it does mean Dick may have to go to America."

"You always tell me about John first!" Peggy felt herself blush, and knew that Nancy, though ragging her, was trying to get more information from her. "Mother says he visits Beckfoot quite often when he's on leave!" Peggy continued, ignoring her sister's teasing.

"I'm sure he'll tell you more later on. Dot's still writing government pamphlets and information leaflets but, she plans to give it up and leave when her novel is published."

"When will that be?" Dorothea was always talking about her novels and how some publisher was really interested, all of which usually came to nothing.

"Oh, next month."

"At last! Her and her romances!" Peggy knew that behind this mask Nancy would be proud; her fondness for Dot had grown since they first met during the expedition to the North Pole on the lake many years before the war. The Land Rover continued to bump over the dirt track and Peggy still occasionally looked at the map.

It was now late afternoon, and it had been a warm but mostly cloudy day. Nancy had driven enough for one day and wanted the journey to end, and so meet up once again with their oldest friends.

The cottage John had the use of was near a river, not the lakes but it would do, new territory for all of them, those that could make it. Susan, as so often, could not get away from her duties in the navy, whatever they might be; they all knew she had worked hard for her officer rank in the war and was equally determined to hang on to it. John knew from his own life in the navy it was best not to ask too much of what she was doing. Titty, of course, would be there, nothing ever stopped her when any of them suggested any sort of gathering. The bond that had been forged between them all in childhood those years before seemed to be stronger than ever for her. She had survived the war apparently more by luck than design, spending it both worrying about the fate of the others and having a good a time as she could to try and make the whole thing bearable. Despite the bombing she stayed in London and managed to become part of a social circle that was, to the others, clearly beyond her means. Roger, well, they all thought about Roger. He was still in hospital after returning from the Far East after VJ Day a year ago, of all of them Titty visited him most, but the progress of his recovery was slow. Like all the other Swallows Nancy and Peggy missed Roger's humour and his delight in larking about even at serious times, despite being irritated by such behaviour on many occasions all those years before. It was not the same without him.

The track came to an end at a 'Y' junction with a river on the left that followed the left fork for a few hundred yards. They could see a stone bridge in the distance that took the track away from the river leaving the left-hand one running by it. Peggy instructed her sister.

"Left here and then on about a quarter of a mile, there's a track off to the right." Nancy followed Peggy's directions driving at speed but without recklessness. There had been no chances to sail when she was on active service but learning to drive military vehicles properly at speed had been an enjoyable, and useful, second best.

The cottage at last came in to view, and as they approached it the river widened so that if you had not followed it you would have thought you had come upon a lake, not for Nancy and Peggy like the lakes of home but a lake nonetheless. The stone building was set slightly back off the track and as they got closer they could see on the opposite side there was a wooden jetty leading out in to the river. A small boat, sheeted for protection with a shabby tarpaulin was moored up and immediately reminded them both of _Amazon_ in the boathouse at Beckfoot awaiting their occasional return. Peggy folded the map; Nancy pulled across to the flat rough ground in front of the cottage, parked the Land Rover and turned off the engine. Before either of them could climb out the door of the cottage opened and John was there, Titty behind him clearly eager to get past.

14


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

WELCOME

"**Y**ou found it?" John's greeting was directed at Nancy as she climbed out of the driver's side of the Land Rover.

"Of course! Despite some poor map reading by the mate here!" Peggy grimaced, ignored her sister and then spoke to him.

"Hello John, yes no trouble at all." Nancy interrupted her sister before she could greet him.

"How did you find this?"

"One of my fellow officers owns it and lets people use it if he isn't. His home is in the village over there." John pointed to the hills facing the cottage; there was no sign of any other buildings or roads, just a few rough tracks leading off in each direction.

Titty had now got past John and in turn thrown her arms around Nancy and Peggy's necks and hugged and kissed them in welcome, she had always been the most demonstrative of them, and since the war had become more so. John assumed that this was all down to the fact she was so pleased that they had all survived, but then so was he; comrades had been killed, he had been more fortunate. But then there was father of course, whose death early on in the war had been a serious blow to them all.

He began to organise everyone.

"Have you much stowage?"

"Just the basics as you suggested, we did bring supplies though!" Nancy went to the rear of the Land Rover and began to unload knapsacks, sleeping bags and some cardboard boxes of food and drink. With four of them it only took one trip to take it all in to the cottage.

The old stone building had two floors and a slate roof, but the windows to each storey had clearly been added much later than when it was built. The downstairs was one large room with a stone fireplace at the end, in it was a simple blackened range with space for two or three saucepans and an oven. There was a stone sink with a single tap in one corner and an odd collection of furniture, none of which matched but all very functional. In the middle of the room there was a large wooden table and eight dining chairs of various styles. In one corner of the wall directly opposite the door a narrow wooden staircase led to the upstairs.

"There are only two bedrooms, I've got the small one, you two can share the large one with Titty." John did not need to explain anymore about the basic accommodation or the arrangements, they had spent too many nights in tents and the open air as children to worry about such things. As they came in the kettle on the range was just beginning to steam from its spout. Titty moved it to one side.

"Tea?"

"Or something stronger?" asked John, he had acquired the taste for rum in the navy, and thought nothing of having a tot or two during the day when not on duty; Nancy, as he knew, had given up drink years before, in the war she had seen too many of her fellow women much the worse for wear from alcohol.

"Tea will be fine." Peggy told Titty as she busily unpacked the boxes of supplies they had brought with them, most of which she had acquired from sources it was best not to enquire too much about, but would give them tastier meals than those they would have had to make do with from their rations.

Sitting around the table together was like old times, mugs of strong tea, hunks of bread and marmalade and fruitcake. Where Titty had got the large cake from, she was no cook, nobody asked, but they all knew she still had connections with the people she surrounded herself with during the war. John explained to the others how a friend of Titty's with available transport and fuel ration had brought them to the cottage the day before. He was curious about Nancy's vehicle.

"Where did you get the Land Rover? I've seen them at some of the bases, aren't they four wheel drive?"

"Yes. I managed to save most of my pay during the war, and promised myself I would spend it afterwards on something useful, having driven Jeeps when the Yanks came over I knew that would be the kind of thing we'd need. So here we are. What plans do you have Skipper?" John was amused; it was a long time since any of them had called him that.

He explained to them he could have use of the cottage for a week, if longer was possible a friend of his fellow officer in the village would let him know over the next couple of days.

"We can use the boat you saw at the jetty. It has a sail, not up to _Swallow_ or _Amazon_ from what he says but it will do." Nancy and Peggy cheered at the thought. Nancy spoke and did so for both of them.

"We haven't sailed for years, when we go to Beckfoot Captain Flint uses the motor launch if he has enough petrol, and there never seems to be time for sailing." Titty thought about this, the idea of Captain Nancy not finding time to sail seemed impossible. John confirmed what she had said.

"Yes, last time I was there he told me, I suppose that's the trouble with getting older and having to work!"

During all this Peggy remained silent, almost blushing, as unbeknown to the others she and John often met at Beckfoot. Her Mother and Uncle Jim both welcomed them and gave them time to be alone. Nancy was unaware of how often this occurred, as were the others. Titty who, as she was not actually working, had time to keep track of everyone, when she wasn't visiting Roger, didn't know either but had her suspicions. Their mother visited Roger when she could, but now on her own, daddy losing his life in action so early in the war, not as often as she would have liked. Peggy drained her mug of tea; she seemed to have been reading her mind.

"How is Roger getting on?" Titty answered.

"His memory is improving, he remembers most times that I have visited before, but when I talk about all of you there is still that blank look sometimes. Visits can be hard work, but we are fortunate we still have him." There was an uncomfortable silence as they all thought their own thoughts, they missed him, John especially, but he rarely said so, even to Titty, but Peggy knew from the way he talked of him when they were alone.

Nancy tried again.

"Well, what plans?" As if to avoid her question John started to get things organised.

"Come on, let's get your gear upstairs and we'll talk after supper." Getting up from the table he grabbed their knapsacks and sleeping bags and moved to the stairs, struggling to carry all of them as he started to climb the stairs up to the bedrooms. As he did so, they followed him, he continued. "We've got oil lamps for upstairs too, there's a wash-house at the back with a pump, and a privy in the garden, it's got a septic tank so it won't need emptying or anything while we're here." Once they were all in the room John left them to it and went back downstairs. In the large room where the stairs ended Titty had made one corner of it her own with her few belongings. Despite her almost luxurious life during the war in London she still liked the simplicity of a sleeping bag, an oil lamp and a few personal items around her. Nancy and Peggy arranged their things in the other two corners, and once they were all satisfied they returned downstairs to the main room where John was studying a map of what looked like the surrounding area. Nancy questioned Titty.

"Is it true about Dot's book?"

"Oh yes, though it was the fifth publisher she had tried, but this time somebody actually liked it. She's very excited, we met last week and had tea at The Ritz." She spoke of this activity as if everyone did so all the time.

While the three women prepared supper John continued to study the map, until he was taken to task by Titty who told him to clear the table and find cutlery and glasses. Peggy had brought them a bottle of wine, so a corkscrew was needed too. The supper of pork chops, potatoes, and peas was simple but filling and as the four of them had not eaten together in such a way for some time it had the feeling of a feast.

They toasted each other and once again Nancy chided John.

"So what have you planned?"

"Well." He paused. "Nothing at all, we could sail or trek, I thought this would mostly be a chance to get together and catch up and perhaps plan something that we could all do." Nancy felt disappointed, but the prospect of some of them gathering once more for an adventure was still appealing. Peggy spoke for all of them.

"Rest and good company is enough for me, why don't we set too, wash up and take to our beds?"

19


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III

THE VISITOR

**I**n the early hours of the next morning John was awoken from his sleep by a heavy knocking on the cottage door. Somebody was clearly eager to wake them, and with some urgency.

He reached out and picked up his watch, glanced at it, he still used the same one that accompanied them to Wild Cat Island, and wondered who at five o'clock in the morning would know they were all there and what could they want at such a time.

Getting out of his sleeping bag and pulling on his oilskin over his pyjamas to keep some modesty and dignity in the next room, he left his bedroom, made his way past the sleeping women and went down the stairs He unbolted and unlocked the heavy wooden door.

On opening it there stood a young woman. She was fresh faced with short hair, an almost boy-like in her appearance, and dressed for serious walking, sturdy jacket and trousers and boots. On her back she had a bulging knapsack with a bedroll hanging beneath, she was clutching a folded map and a compass.

"Is Nancy here?" This was no casual inquiry, and John had no chance to respond. "Well?" Her impatience was clear to him.

"Yes, she is, but who are you?" The young woman's smile surprised him.

"You don't remember me do you?" John hesitated.

"No. Should I?"

"Yes John, you should!" John was taken aback that this woman, whom he did not recognise, as not only did she recognise him but knew his name.

"Daisy. Remember? One of the Eels!" He suddenly had a memory of one of the last summers well before the war when they had all explored and mapped the Essex Backwaters and the others they met there.

"Yes, yes, of course, come in, come in. What brings you here? Do you want tea? Nancy and the others are still in bed."

By the time she had followed him in to the cottage the others, also awoken by the noise, had descended the stairs and were standing in the kitchen as if a welcoming committee, they had witnessed the exchange between John and Daisy.

Nancy was open mouthed in surprise; her reaction though was not noticed by the others who just stared at Daisy. Peggy and Titty recognised her at once and both exclaimed.

"Daisy!" They both were pleased to see her after so many years despite the odd circumstances. Daisy did not react to either of them but stared at Nancy, clearly expecting her to say something at her sudden arrival at the cottage. Titty looked at Nancy, wondering why she had apparently been singled out.

"So you haven't told them?" Daisy was clearly indignant, if not annoyed. Nancy managed to reply but spoke almost in a whisper.

"No." Nancy's face had an expression of almost embarrassment or even shame. As they all looked at her this was a side of the 'terror of the seas' the others had never seen before. Peggy, overcome with sisterly concern intervened.

"Told us what?"

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	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

EXPLANATIONS

**N**ancy looked almost scared, something the others had never seen before, even during her battles with her Great Aunt Maria. Peggy felt frightened, this was almost worse than thunder storms and in her fear reached out and took John's hand in her own more for comfort than affection.

Titty saw her do so and was not at all surprised, but Nancy, despite her own sudden emotional turmoil, had also noticed and looked shocked. Despite their years together, only Titty and Dot of the nine of them showed tenderness towards each other and sometimes the rest of them, the others passed this behaviour off because of the worlds the two of them inhabited away from everyone else.

Peggy waited, Nancy still said nothing and Daisy looked more aggrieved. Peggy tried again.

"Told us what?" Nancy did not answer at once but because Daisy gave her no chance.

"Ruth, look, if you don't tell them I will. This nonsense has got to stop, I warned you, you came up here not telling me the whole truth as to why and now…" Her own anger almost silenced her. "…now you clam up. Why?" Nancy looked at her and began to shake with what almost seemed to all of them fear, her eyes looked ready to cry, a look they had only seen before when she had talked of her father. They were all very surprised to hear someone other than her mother call Nancy 'Ruth'.

John released Peggy's hand from his own slowly and gently, then spoke to try and calm everyone.

"Look Daisy, all of you, sit down, I'll get the fire going and make some tea." and set too doing exactly that. Titty was impressed by this as John had never shown any signs of domesticity, he had always left such things to Susan when they were all together, but then Susan wasn't here. Peggy now knew of his abilities, and so was not at all surprised.

As John filled the kettle, set it on the range, prepared the teapot and mugs the women sat down around the table, and once all of them were seated and without any warning Nancy, sitting next to Daisy, just began to talk, her voice trembling.

"Daisy and I, well, we live together." Peggy interrupted her, she was irritated.

"We know you live with someone, I've been to your flat but never seen her!"

"No Peggy, we share," she paused, "everything, even the bed, we are…" She hesitated as if grasping for the word to use. Daisy, exasperated, finished Nancy's sentence.

"We're lesbians!" She was still annoyed. "And Ruth's ashamed of me. Three years now, two in the flat, and she always puts off telling you all. Did you know we wrote to each other almost every week since that summer we met? No, I know you don't." She slapped the table with the palm of her hand, the move forcing herself in to silence. Peggy thought out loud.

"So that's who those letters were from!"

John passed around mugs of tea, saying nothing and then sat down. Nancy attempted to start again.

"I wasn't ashamed, I wasn't, truly. I love you Daisy, I do, it's just…" Titty was not surprised by Nancy's confession; she was only surprised to hear her talk so openly of love. Only she and Dot ever did, then mostly wondering about Dick and what girlfriends he'd had. Before Nancy could continue again Peggy spoke.

"But, but, you, you always said you'd end up marrying John!" John avoided their glances. Nancy blushed.

"But I didn't mean I would! If I'd have liked men in that way I would I'm sure, but I don't, I never have. When we met Daisy back then I already knew what I was, but when I met her again after years of writing, four of five years later, I was smitten, it took me long enough even to drop a hint to her in a letter, then in '44 she was posted to the same camp, same unit, on the South Coast, D-Day preparations, we both knew from talking that first night in our barracks, so no more need for hints, Daisy had known too, but didn't know how to say."

It was Peggy's turn to look shocked.

"Does mother know? Does Uncle Jim?"

"No, I tried to tell them when we moved in to the flat, but I couldn't, I just thought they wouldn't understand."

"Is that why you don't go to Beckfoot very often?" Peggy was almost accusing her.

"Yes, no, it's just too complicated. Anyway you or John always seemed to be there." It was John and Peggy's turn to look embarrassed. Titty said nothing, knowing her long held suspicions were being confirmed. Peggy spoke.

"Well, yes, we had to, mother let us. She, like me, thought you always carried a torch for him and one day would say something, but, well she knew, she told me. John had already spoken to her. We're engaged, sort of." She looked at John opposite her and smiled, he returned her smile. Titty felt a feeling of knowingness, he had never said anything to her but she always thought there was something between them. She had once confided in Dot who confirmed her suspicions immediately, she had thought so on that first day they met in the winter, at the igloo.

Daisy remained silent for a moment but still looked agitated. She started again.

"But why, why did you never tell them?" Nancy once again looked guilty. None of them had ever really discussed their feelings, even towards each other, and those such as hers and Daisy's were not commonplace.

"But people don't always understand." She had witnessed such liaisons in almost every camp she had been billeted, and all of them had become the subject of gossip or derision or both, and this was just from other women. Daisy continued.

"But these are your friends, old friends; did you think they wouldn't understand?" Nancy held her head in her hands and desperately wanted to say something, anything that would resolve matters.

Then she thought about Peggy, what of her and John, she wasn't sure what confused her the most; that they all thought John and herself would become a couple or that Peggy, her younger sister, would have an interest in him? But then she was not just her sister but a young woman, she was no longer the mate of the _Amazon_ to be ordered about. Nancy carried on.

"Titty, can you tell Dick and Dot?"

"Yes, but, shouldn't you?"

"Yes, you're right, I should. To long hiding away, too many secrets." Daisy looked more relaxed and reached out across the table and took Nancy's hand in her own. Nancy did not resist, she looked pleased, and relieved. "I'm sorry." Titty intervened.

"Do Don and the others know?"

"Don does, he asked me out once and I took a chance of telling him when I turned him down, he was fine about it, we write once in awhile. The others, we lost touch during the war, I haven't been back home for some time, once I'd joined up and got posted it was easier to stay away." John suddenly stood up.

"I'm hungry, Daisy and I will see to breakfast while you three get ready." Daisy did not argue.

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	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER V

PREPERATIONS

**B**reakfast of boiled eggs, tea, bread and marmalade had been a mostly silent meal. Attempts at conversation by all of them were started and then drifted off in to silence, as each of them pondered on the early morning revelations. John, when they had all finished, went off to wash, and left the four women to clear the table and wash-up.

With John's absent Titty took her chance.

"You and John Peggy, engaged, does Susan know?"

"No, only mother and Uncle Jim. Now of course, all of you!"

"John has not told mother!" Peggy looked embarrassed.

"No, he doesn't know how to. I do keep telling him that he must." Titty almost chuckled at her ever-practical brother facing this, difficult, admittedly emotional, task. Peggy continued turning to her sister. "It was you Nancy that stopped him, he didn't know what you'd have to say."

"Me!" Nancy who had now recovered somewhat after her and Daisy's secret being out in the open.

"Yes, you, we all thought, it seemed so obvious."

"Not to me." Interrupted Titty.

As they washed up and cleared the table the sun began to shine in through the cottage windows, Nancy opened the door revealing a fine day, a blue cloudless sky with a fair breeze blowing. John returned, now dressed, from upstairs and launched in to a conversation aimed at all of them.

"We need provisions from the village, shall we walk, sail or drive?" Nancy made a choice and decision for all of them.

"I'll drive you John, it'll be quicker, then we can do something." John sensed Daisy's apprehension.

"You coming with me and Nancy Daisy?"

"Yes, thank you." The three of them took the cardboard boxes, now empty from the night before, climbed in to the Land Rover and under John's directions Nancy drove off towards the village.

Peggy and Titty were alone.

"Well?" Titty spoke first. "What a surprise." Peggy hesitated.

"Yes, I suppose it must be." Titty filled the kettle from the tap and made up the fire in the range.

"More tea?"

"Yes please, good idea." Soon they were sitting outside on the jetty with mugs of tea looking at the river and the lake.

"Nancy and Daisy, did you have no idea?" Titty tried to encourage Peggy to say more. She was curious about the two women's relationship, and wondered why none of them had noticed this of Nancy.

"None. I knew she shared the flat with a woman, but she was never ever there when I visited, I had no idea it was Daisy, and as for, you know, I had no idea. Nancy had 'pashes' at school, so did I, but not seriously like some girls. We even read Lawrence, you know, 'The Rainbow', and giggled about the swimming part. But Nancy, she was for John."

"No she wasn't!" Titty exclaimed.

"Yes, you said. You really knew back then?"

"Of course, you know I've always been sensitive about things, it just seemed obvious to me, but as nobody else ever said anything I thought it best to keep quiet."

"I'm glad you did. It became difficult in the end, remember when Dick and Dot were there camping in the Dog's Home and the GA thought it was all of you? The next holiday when we were all together again that was hard." Titty confirmed her thoughts of the time.

"I realised then. I was sure something was going on."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not saying." They both retreated in to their thoughts.

In the ensuing silence eventually they heard the distant sound of the Land Rover driving over the dirt tracks, the noise became louder and they saw it approach the cottage, Nancy pulled across from the track in front of the cottage and parked. All three of them got out and started to unload the boxes from the back. Peggy and Titty drained their mugs and walked back to the cottage. The three of them had replenished supplies as best they could, but being in the Welsh countryside they had been able to buy things that were mainly still on ration in the cities, things that only Titty seemed to have access to.

Between them things were still uneasy, Nancy and Daisy were slightly more comfortable but Peggy appeared to be avoiding John, though often looking occasionally as if all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and kiss him. Titty, as ever, noticed. John spoke, as they unpacked, to nobody but everybody.

"We could rig the boat moored on the jetty, see how she sails." There was agreement between them that they could, not wholehearted but none of them said no. They packed a knapsack with newly bought bottles of lemonade, cake and apples and made their way to the jetty.

The boat had clearly been neglected, but with five sometime sailors they soon had the awning removed, the mast stepped and the sail raised. The cream canvas had seen better days, but would give them the chance for a short trip. Once all on board Nancy took the tiller, John untied the painter from the rusting ring on the jetty and pushed her off in to the river.

As the breeze caught the sail she began to move slowly away from the bank. The boat held all of them, but left little room.

"Where to skipper?" They all laughed nervously at Nancy.

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	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI

THE JOURNEY

**A**s they sailed away from the jetty the river immediately widened in to a lake, but nothing like the lakes the two Swallows and the two Amazons had known in the north, but in comparison to the creeks of the Backwaters Daisy knew, a lake all the same. Given the size of the boat and with the five of them on board she cut through the water with ease, and John enjoyed the sound of the wake flowing past the bows, something he missed on the vessels he was on in the navy, and was happy to leave Nancy at the tiller, in charge.

Though she had not sailed for some years, Nancy controlled the boat as if she had last done so yesterday, the sail billowing in fullness of the breeze. They were quiet, all of them taking in the surrounding unknown countryside. After sailing for some time, sitting forward in the bows John could see up ahead where the bank opened out in to a landing place surrounded by trees.

"Take her in there Nancy, ahead." Following John's pointing finger she skilfully steered towards the bank. When they were close enough John jumped ashore with the painter, securing it to an old tree stump, and Peggy and Titty lowered the sail, leaving it loose, ready for their continuing journey.

Where they had landed reminded John of a smaller version of Horseshoe Bay, which set him thinking of when he misjudged his line in to the bay sailing _Swallow_ and holed her on Pike Rock. He had handled many large vessels since then but never forgot his mistake that day. With the boat moored the others climbed out and joined John on the bank bringing the knapsack with them.

Sitting on the grass a short distance from the bank overlooking the lake they drank communally from bottles of lemonade and munched their way through hunks of cake and apples. Peggy and John, and Daisy and Nancy sat close to each other.

Titty, though sitting with them, felt slightly apart from this togetherness of the two couples, being on her own, there was no one special in her life, there never had been. During the war she had drifted through friendships and romances that mostly served to make her life more comfortable. She felt that somewhere there was probably someone just for her, but for now she devoted herself to worrying about all the others.

"Will you marry soon?" She was looking at John and Peggy. John teased his sister.

"Why? Do you want to be a bridesmaid?" She threw her apple core at him attempting to miss, and did so. "Depends on my next posting, where to and for how long. But we'd rather not wait."

"Yes I shall be a navy wife. Not the most inviting prospect!" Peggy seemed happier now.

Titty turned to Nancy and Daisy.

"What are your plans?" Nancy looked thoughtful.

"So many!" She looked at Daisy who then took over and answered for them both.

"We'd like a smallholding, or a croft, something by a river or lake or the sea, do everything for ourselves, not working for anyone. But it's hard to organise." Nancy then continued.

"We've been turned down a few times, they look at two women and think we're not up to it, and we can't afford to buy anything." Peggy interrupted her.

"Have you asked Uncle Jim?" She answered herself. "Well you wouldn't have would you, you must tell him, perhaps he or Timothy could help." Nancy responded.

"When we get back I'll write to mother and we'll go to Beckfoot and make sure everyone knows." This was spoken towards Daisy, she looked pleased. Peggy reassured her.

"Mother will be fine, I'm sure. Tell me when you go, and I'll try to get there when you are, on my own." John agreed.

"Yes, don't let us disrupt things."

"Thank you, both of you." Daisy was clearly grateful.

The heat of the early afternoon had made them all sleepy, along with their early start and especially for Daisy who had been travelling since the early hours. John lay back on the grass and closed his eyes, within moments he was asleep, snoring. Titty laughed quietly and whispered to Peggy.

"You'll soon have that to put up with!" Nancy joined in.

"No worse than you Peggy!" Looking around Daisy too had lain back and succumbed to sleep.

Titty took her chance to ask outright.

"Nancy, why did you never say how you felt?" She did not want to be nosey, but they had known each other a long time and felt loyalty to Nancy and knew they would have all supported her if they'd only known.

"It's not easy Titty, few people are as understanding as you, some are very nasty, even violent. I've heard of women losing their jobs, some being beaten up, and worse. In the army it's safer to pretend what you are not, you flirt with men as if you mean it and nobody questions you. Daisy and I were close friends, and made sure it looked as though it was nothing more, some people suspected, I'm sure they did, but luckily Daisy got moved on. Hard for us being apart but easier in some ways." She paused and looked down at the sleeping Daisy, it was a look of intense affection, not in a way any of them had seen Nancy behave before.

Then Peggy spoke.

"But you could have told me!" She was visibly upset.

"No I couldn't. But you didn't tell me about John, and you never said anything that would have hinted to me you knew."

"I know, I just didn't see it, this morning was a shock." Titty realised that during the war she moved in very different social circles from the others, she had met quite a few female couples, admittedly they were usually artistic, or academic, but Nancy's admission was no surprise. Titty continued.

"What about Daisy's parents?"

"I don't really know, I've not met them again since that summer, she never really got on with them, she left home a few years after we all met." The idea for Titty of not being close to her mother was unthinkable, and, when he was alive, their father too as he gave them all stability.

"How awful."

"No not at all, she was glad to get away."

They both noticed that Peggy too had lain down and given in to sleep and for some time neither spoke, just sat taking in the view across the lake.

It was Nancy's chance to ask questions.

"Titty, what about you. Anyone special?"

"No, nobody, I was, in the war, what some people called a 'good time' girl. It got me in to expensive hotels and restaurants, I went to posh parties, most of the men I met back then were nice enough but nobody special, not now either."

"You know you kept us all in good spirits, your letters, telling us all who was where and what they were up to. I knew nothing about Roger until you wrote to me."

"They contact me most of the time as mother was too distraught after daddy was killed, I dealt with most of it, I still do."

"But you told us about everyone else too. What did Dick do? Does anyone actually know? All I know was he never got called up."

"Yes it's strange, I only know as much as the rest of you, even Dot doesn't know that much. She says he often talks a lot about someone called Turing who he knew for awhile. But never says where or when or anything. What to do you think of Peggy's news?"

"I'm happy for her of course; I wish she'd said something long ago, she and John were always the most conventional of us all."

Nancy looked up to see Titty begin to close her eyes, and unable to resist she too lay back on the grass and joined them all in sleep.

31


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII

AN ARRIVAL

**H**alf an hour or so later, maybe it was much longer, she couldn't be sure, Nancy was disturbed by the noise of an engine, a motorboat or something similar. For a moment she was not sure if this noise was in her dream or was she actually hearing a motorboat, she then awoke with a start, looked at the others who were also beginning to stir. She sat up, looked across the lake and watched a motorboat that was slowly approaching the bank of their landing place, its only occupant, a man, she could see was looking closely as if trying to make out who was there. Suddenly a deep voice boomed across the water.

"Nancy!"

As the motorboat got closer to the bank she recognised the man in the boat, Captain Flint, her Uncle Jim, slightly older, slightly fatter than when she had last seen him a year of so ago. Leaping up she shouted loudly and waved as she rushed to the bank.

"Hello! Hello!"

As she reached the bank Uncle Jim had cut the engine and the motorboat nudged gently into the bank next to the their sailing boat, Nancy leaned across the bow and grabbed the painter and secured it on the tree stump next to the other boat. By now the others had fully woken up and joined Nancy on the bank all surprised to see Captain Flint. Peggy was almost shouting.

"Uncle Jim, why are you here?" He climbed gingerly out of the boat and on to the bank, greeted all of them, vigorously shaking John's hand and looked quizzically for a moment at Daisy.

"Who, young lady, might you be?" Nancy butted in.

"This is Daisy Uncle Jim, one of the Eels from the Backwaters, remember we told you? She's…" She hesitated. "We're a couple Uncle Jim." Captain Flint for a moment did not react, visibly he was taken aback, but as he always did he soon regained his composure and behaved as if nothing at all had happened.

"Pleased to meet you Daisy, I suppose then some kind of congratulations are in order?" Nancy continued.

"No, not really, it's just I've only now plucked up courage to tell everyone, Daisy forced my hand."

Uncle Jim sounded enthusiastic at Nancy's news.

"Good for her! Does your mother know?"

"No!" Nancy looked sheepish.

"Well, you'd better go and see her, she'll be surprised but she'll be happy for you. I promise you. Your mother knows you very well Nancy! Don't you worry Daisy, you will be made most welcome."

"We will, we will."

Peggy was getting tired of Nancy hogging the conversation and tried again.

"But why are you here? How did you find us?"

"Oh yes. I'm way over there." Pointing to the far hills. "Looking at abandoned gold mines, Timothy has got a plan. Susan telephoned my hotel, your mother told her where I was staying, she told me John had borrowed a cottage, I was just on my way to find it when I spotted the boat and thought I'd better have a look in case it was you." Titty, on hearing of Susan interrupted anxiously.

"Susan? Why? Is mother alright?"

"Yes of course, she's fine able-seaman, Susan had some news and as she couldn't join John at the cottage and she knew I was in this part of Wales, wondered if I could contact him and let him know."

John spoke up.

"What news?" Captain Flint carried on.

"She's been promoted, again! Same rank, but a desk job in London, with immediate effect. She is very excited, that's why she wanted you to know, and she says to tell Titty that her office is in a building near your flat, well, a couple of tube stops. Where exactly is this cottage John?" John pointed to the end of the lake.

"See where it narrows to become a river again, there's a jetty, it's opposite there." Captain Flint looked down the lake at the distance they had sailed.

"Do you want a tow back?" It shamed John slightly, but it would be easier, and faster, so he agreed. "Well, let me have a sit down first. Is that a bottle of grog I see?"

"Yes, help yourself." John told him.

"So what's this all about you being engaged to my niece?"

33


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII

ABSENT FRIENDS

**B**y the time they had returned that evening to the cottage they were all in an almost celebratory mood. Uncle Jim had towed the sailing boat back, and as he and Nancy dealt with the mooring of both the boats the others went across the track in to the cottage to start preparing supper.

The afternoon had passed in long conversations between them all, catching up. Uncle Jim got to know more about Daisy of whom he had heard of from Nancy and Peggy from their mapping of the Backwaters, but of course had never met.

Now with both boats secured together at the jetty he and Nancy had time alone to talk. Uncle Jim began.

"Well Nancy, I thought I knew you better than most of us, but even you can still surprise me!"

"Sorry. It was difficult." Nancy was apologetic.

"No, don't be, nothing shocks me, I've see many things on my travels, it's just I'd never thought about it. You're still one of my little nieces, I suppose it makes me realise you're both actually grown-ups."

"We are, all of us are, the war saw to that." He became thoughtful.

"Of course, I was sorry about John's father." He was quiet again, lost in thought. "I like Daisy, I'm sure your mother will too. What do you make of Peggy's news?"

"Shocked, everyone thought it would be me that would marry John, well, except Titty didn't."

"She was always different that girl." This reminded Nancy of something.

"Do you remember her dowsing? I wonder if she still does." Captain Flint ignored her.

"Peggy will want you as a bridesmaid!" Uncle Jim teased her. Though Nancy wasn't sure he was.

"Oh no, never, she maybe my sister, but not that. Do you know I've not worn a dress since the last time the GA stayed at Beckfoot, so no, as much as I love her." Uncle Jim continued to tease her

"You'll turn up in a man's suit with a green carnation in your button hole I suppose?"

"Possibly!" She played Uncle Jim's game. The reference was obscure, but Nancy understood it and the way her Uncle's mind worked. "I just hope she'll be happy, and that John won't be like his father, always being posted somewhere."

"He could be I suppose, that's what happens when your in the navy, then look at me, always going off somewhere, no time to settle down or find a wife." Nancy pondered all of this.

"Were you looking for one?"

"Not really." She continued.

"Look, why don't you stay for supper, I'll drive you to your hotel afterwards, then pick you up in the morning so you can collect the motorboat."

"Yes, that would be splendid, thank you, I'll enjoy that. The boat is hired for the week so nobody will miss it."

They checked one last time that the two boats were securely moored and then crossed the track and went back to the cottage.

Inside the others were all busy preparing supper, even John.

"Uncle Jim's staying for supper, is that alright?" Nancy asked John as if it was his cottage and he was in charge, but Peggy answered her.

"Of course, we all thought he would be staying anyway!" John motioned towards one of the chairs around one end of the table as supper preparations continued at the other.

"Uncle Jim sit down, would you like a glass of wine?"

"Yes please, more agreeable than lemonade." Captain Flint responded, Nancy stole him a glance.

"Not always." Knowing of her views he agreed with her.

"No, true."

He was soon seated and John passed him a glass of wine. He had things to talk about to them.

"Now Nancy, what plans do you and Daisy have?" Daisy was busy at the range with Peggy and Titty so she let Nancy answer.

"We'd like a small-holding, a croft, something like that, but funds are difficult, we both saved our pay in the army but that's dwindling now, especially after buying the Land Rover and so far we've been turned down for renting one."

"A croft eh." He was clearly hatching a plan. "I maybe able to help you there, remember Mac who owned the _Sea Bear_? I'll see what he can do. As for money, well 'Mixed Moss' is now in its twelfth edition and still selling well, so I'm sure I can do something for you."

"Really?" Nancy exclaimed.

"Of course, without all of you, and Titty especially, there would have been no book!" Titty looked embarrassed, over the years Captain Flint had willingly got her out of some financial tight spots, more times than she felt she deserved during the war years. He was not finished. "Then there's a wedding to be paid for of course." John and Peggy spoke almost as one.

"No, you mustn't!"

"Of course I will, your mothers can't be expected to find it all." John interrupted him.

"But Uncle Jim, I'm well paid as an officer, it's up to me to pay."

"I know John, but you work hard and you can use that money to make your and Peggy's new life more comfortable than it might have been."

"Thank you." John was overcome and silenced by Captain Flint's generosity.

As the others carried on with the preparation of supper and John gathered cutlery laid the table, Uncle Jim talked to Titty who had come over and sat beside him.

"I know you visit Roger the most, but when I see your mother she won't tell me everything, I know she doesn't. How he is really getting on?"

"It's a slow process, but the doctors think it is just a matter of time. But…"

"Yes, but?"

"When he is well enough to leave the hospital he will probably have to leave the navy too."

"That's only to be expected. Then?"

"He'll go back to mothers."

"I thought he would. Look, tell your mother from me and Molly that he can stay at Beckfoot for as long as he needs at any time, or your mother if she just needs time to herself."

"That is good to know, thank you, mother was worrying how she would cope with him." For a moment they were both silent and lost in their thoughts.

Suddenly there was great activity from Peggy and Daisy at the range, Nancy was near them, hovering, awaiting instructions and between the three of them supper was set upon the table. A roast chicken, bowls of vegetables, and Peggy had even managed to make gravy on the limited hot plates of the range.

"Uncle Jim, can you carve the chicken for us?"

"Of course, chicken eh! Where from, or should I not ask?" He laughed and looked directly at Titty. She grinned, said nothing and helped the others as Captain Flint carved the chicken and distributed it amongst the waiting plates. Soon all six of them were seated around the table eating well.

After they finished their food and before pudding was brought to the table, Uncle Jim, glass of wine in his hand, suddenly stood up.

"Time for a few words I think. It's good to see you all, to hear your news, to welcome Daisy back with us and to congratulate Peggy and Nancy. But the toast I think should be for those not here: Susan, Roger, Dick and Dot, and I'm sure we will all get together once more, so 'To Absent Friends.'" They all raised their glasses of wine or water or lemonade and joined Captain Flint's toast.

37


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX

ANOTHER SURPRISE

**T**owards the end of the evening after much talking by all of them, Uncle Jim could be seen to be almost asleep in his chair. They had all helped with the washing up and tidying and left him there. Once they were finished Nancy spoke to him loudly enough to wake him.

"Come on Uncle Jim, it's time I got you back to your hotel." Captain Flint awoke with a start, behaving as if he had not been asleep at all.

"Of course, I won't outstay my welcome. What are your plans?" John told him what he told Nancy earlier that day.

"We haven't any, just see what tomorrow brings." Nancy by now had pulled on a jumper for some warmth and bundled up her oilskins to take with her in case there was a sudden change in the weather.

"Let's go Uncle Jim, soon have you back to your bed."

They all left the cottage and crowded around the Land Rover; it was a clear starless night and other than the lamps shining through the cottage windows pitch black. Captain Flint said his goodbyes and he and Nancy climbed in the Land Rover. The others watched as she started the engine and pulled away, the headlights lighting up the lake and the track ahead of them, and they watched until the lights were out of view.

Peggy immediately became organised.

"How about some tea, and a ration of chocolate?" Despite agreeing as did the others, the mention of chocolate brought Roger to mind for Titty as they all returned inside the cottage.

As Nancy negotiated the Land Rover over the dirt tracks on towards the narrow lane that led to the hotel Uncle Jim, now fully awake, began to talk to her.

"Well Nancy, having surprised me today I suppose I should surprise you." Nancy encouraged him.

"What plans have you got then, do you really think this time you'll find gold?"

"No, not those sort of plans, that's just Timothy's notion to give us something to work on. I mean something more like your news."

"Mine?" Nancy was slightly confused and wondered what her Uncle was going to say.

"Did you hear me talking to Titty about Roger?"

"Yes, what about him?" What had he to do with Roger she thought.

"Well, me and Mary have spent quite a lot of time together since the end of the war, I've helped and supported her when I can, and, well, we've become very close." Nancy in her shock of what he had said and what he may say next made her swerve the Land Rover nearly off on to the side of the track. She quickly manoeuvred it safely back.

"You mean you want to marry the Swallow's mother?" Captain Flint could not tell whether his niece was surprised or incredulous, her tone of voice indicated both.

"Hopefully soon I will."

"But what does mother think?"

"Like you, I haven't said anything yet. But she knows we spend a lot of time together." Nancy's silence spoke volumes to her uncle; she wondered how the Swallows would react to this news.

"But…" It was no good; Nancy was not at all sure what she should say. Being entrusted with such information did confirm to her that her Uncle at last did consider her a grown-up. She thought of the Swallow's mother, Mrs Walker had always been kind and welcoming to her and Peggy, and when they were children and far away from Beckfoot she almost took the place of mother, though no one ever could. But marrying Uncle Jim? This was another matter. To occupy her mind she concentrated on every aspect of her driving, a method she had used when worrying about how she was going to tell them all about Daisy.

Captain Flint continued.

"That's why I told Titty that I would support Roger when he is released from hospital, Mary and I have talked about it quite a bit, and your mother is more than willing to help." Nancy understood this.

"But you live at Beckfoot with mother, you're a fixture. Will you move away, mother wouldn't want someone else there, not even the Swallow's mother!"

Uncle Jim was surprised that Nancy appeared to see things in the way she did. True, he and Mary had not discussed anything in such detail, but they spent a lot of time together.

"Well, I haven't actually mentioned marriage, but it just seems the next obvious step."

Much to Nancy's relief the lights of the hotel were up ahead, and she pulled up by front of the door. Captain Flint climbed out of the Land Rover and Nancy spoke to him through the open window of the driver's door.

"I'll come and fetch you tomorrow at nine o'clock. Is that too early?"

"No, that will be fine. Thank you Nancy, it was good to meet Daisy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." As Uncle Jim walked through the door of the hotel Nancy closed the window, turned the Land Rover around and drove back to the cottage, a journey that left her deep in thought.

41


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER X

JOHN'S PLAN

**I**n the cottage after Nancy and Captain Flint had left they made more tea, ate some squares of chocolate and talked about the events of the day.

"Daisy, you better come and see the sleeping arrangements," and Peggy took Daisy up the stairs to the communal bedroom to stow her belongings, it gave her a chance to talk to her without interruption from her sister and the others.

"I am pleased Daisy, really pleased, it was just a shock, Nancy and I have never talked about such things, not seriously, she's not one for emotional stuff. Well, not to us, until today!" Daisy arranged her bedding alongside where Nancy had hers.

"Underneath she is really like that."

"Maybe to you, but all we've ever seen is Captain Nancy; she even lets you call her Ruth! I never have!"

"I know, but she's your captain, still, but not mine, not ever." Peggy pondered this and admitted to herself this was so.

"Mother used to ask me if Nancy had any boyfriends, I didn't know, but I did wonder why she asked. I didn't have many at all, but mother knew I'd fallen for John." Daisy's response was not what Peggy expected.

"He's a good man; I can see why you did!"

Daisy had finished arranging her things when they heard the Land Rover draw up outside followed by the opening of the cottage door. Going downstairs to the main room Nancy was just standing by the table, silent, the others looking at her. Daisy could tell something was amiss.

"What is it Ruth?"

"Nothing, nothing." Daisy did not believe her. They all sat around the table, Daisy ensuring she was next to Nancy and immediately took her hand in her own.

"Tell us now, is Captain Flint alright?"

"Oh yes, it's…" She paused, "he told me something, I'm not supposed to say, but it's difficult." For the second time that day she was almost reduced to tears." Sniffing loudly she forced herself to carry on. "John, Titty. Uncle Jim wants to marry your mother."

John stood up.

"What!" He sat down again, clearly agitated. "Titty, did you know about this?" He was clearly angry.

"No, not at all, I know they see each other quite often, but I didn't know it was anything like that, he's helped her a lot now that daddy's not there." She thought to herself what a day this had turned out to be.

"He can't!" John sounded defiant. Titty touched his arm in a way that she hoped would be reassuring.

"Why not?" John was now upset.

"Father."

"I know, but she can't be alone forever."

"Uncle Jim has." Peggy spoke as if this was enough to end the matter.

"Dot will think it's romantic." Titty intended this in some ways to irritate her brother, too often he had made light of her emotions though she knew he did care for her. John snorted with derision. Stood up and went over to the supplies cupboard, took out a bottle of rum, found a glass, poured himself a tot, a large one, and drank it back in one go.

"John, enough, sit down!" Titty, to the shock of the others, was giving Captain John orders; he obeyed sitting back down and nursing his empty glass. "If it will make mother happy then it has nothing to do with us, Uncle Jim is a good man, you know he is, a generous man. He's Peggy, and Nancy's, uncle, the nearest they have now to a father. Mother is lonely, her life now is mostly looking after Bridget, and she is about to leave school and go up to university. Uncle Jim is already a father figure to her, what could any of us do to make life better for mother?" John was silent but clearly struck by what Titty had to say.

Peggy and Nancy were both astounded and impressed by Titty's outburst, she had always seemed the most compliant of the Swallows; in the shadow of Susan and in awe of John. Daisy was pleased, she wanted to applaud Titty, but thought it wise to do or say nothing.

"Yes, of course." John looked almost ashamed and chastised by Titty's outburst. "I think a good night's sleep will help us all." Nancy intervened.

"Before then what of tomorrow? I'm fetching Uncle Jim at nine and he will be away from here by half-past. So let's plan something now, or this whole trip will have been a waste."

43


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER XI

TREKKING

**N**ancy had washed and had her breakfast while the others had got up and sat having tea together, she told them she would buy fresh bread and milk and set off to collect Captain Flint.

At the hotel Uncle Jim had hardly got in to the Land Rover and Nancy started.

"Good morning Uncle Jim, I'm sorry but I told them all what you told me last night." She began to drive back to the cottage.

"Oh. What was said? Am I a villain once more? Do you have a black spot for me?" She then recounted how, to begin with, John had been angry, but Titty had put him in his place. "That I would have liked to have seen. That woman has hidden depths, I've always thought so. If you would all keep my secret until I've had a chance to talk to Mary."

"I'll tell them. This gold mine you and Squashy, sorry, Timothy are interested in, do you have a map reference?"

"Of course, why?"

"We plan to trek there from the cottage, and take a look."

"Claim jumping eh!"

"No! Has anyone actually found gold?"

"Some, it's thought there may still be small amounts to find." Captain Flint rummaged in his pockets and found a crumpled piece of paper, on another piece with a stub of pencil similarly discovered he copied down the map reference. Nancy parked the Land Rover by the cottage, and took the paper from him. He climbed out and spoke to her before going over to the motorboat.

"I won't come in, not a good idea after what you've told me, but bring them all to the hotel tonight, I'll treat you all to dinner, the food's pretty good considering." Nancy watched as he stepped in to the motorboat, started the engine, cast off the painter and steered her towards the lake and moved slowly away from the jetty. She shouted.

"Goodbye, see you tonight."

Nancy, once back in the cottage found John had laid out the local map in readiness on the table and soon located the spot from the references Nancy had been given.

"How long John?"

"I would think a couple of hours at least, depends how many times we stop for chocolate!" Nancy laughed, and was pleased to see his dark mood of the night before seemed to have lifted. She told them of Captain Flint's invitation for dinner in the evening.

A knapsack was filled, the usual rations of bread and marmalade, cake, apples and bottles of lemonade; their childhood tastes had not changed much for them over the years. Within half an hour of Nancy's return they were ready to start. Outside the cottage John with his compass, the same one that had guided him to Wild Cat Island, checked their position and led off.

Of all of them, Titty was no longer used to physical exertion, so climbing and walking across the hills was hard, and she soon found herself trailing behind the others. Daisy dropped back and kept pace with her.

"No hills in the Backwaters, all of our walking was on the flat, not like them!" She nodded towards John, Peggy and Nancy far ahead of them. Titty joked with her.

"At least your fit, the only exercise I got in the war was dancing and…, well, you get the idea I'm sure!" Daisy grinned at her, fully understanding what Titty meant.

"Your parents seemed nice when we met them, will they really not understand about you and Nancy?" Titty realised she could be speaking out of turn but thought Daisy would not mind.

"Oh I know, they are, but they're very conventional. I'd drifted away from them when I was at school, in holidays they were always busy with something, so when the war broke out it was a chance to get away and make my own life. Like Ruth, I knew what I was by then and it seemed the easiest way." Titty understood in some ways, but despite her hedonistic ways during the war she always visited her mother, and looked forward to it.

They traipsed onwards, still well behind the others, silent, but enjoying each other being there.

"What are Dot and Dick like?" Daisy had never met them but had heard Nancy talk about them when recounting the various adventures they all had. The terrain was getting rougher, more rocky, as they climbed, requiring more effort from them, but the others were still ahead of them.

"Dot's a romantic, always wanted to be a novelist and finally is getting her first one published. She'll think you and Nancy, and Peggy and John, is lovely. Dick, he's clever, really clever, then he gets so involved in whatever he is doing he forgets to do everyday things, back then Dot was always reminding him to eat!"

"Come on you two, we're stopping for some food." Nancy was shouting at them. Titty and Daisy jog trotted as best they could in the terrain to catch up, they had all stopped on a flat piece of ground in the rocks, sheltered and giving them space to refresh themselves.

Below them they could see the lake and off to the distance the cottage, Titty was surprised by actually how far they had walked.

"How far have we trekked John?"

"About three miles, being up hill it's harder to judge, but I can work it out when we get back. Trouble is I can't take a bearing."

"There must be something that's on the map." Nancy looked around and further up the summit of the hill spotted a very ordered pile of rocks. "John, up there, a cairn!" John looked at the map.

"There's something here marked a carn, must be what they are known as, I can work out from that how far." Titty he could see was now more interested in her hunk of cake and lemonade, it was the kind of question she often asked, where the answer wasn't really that important.

Once they had finished eating and drinking all there was to be put back in the knapsack was one full and two empty lemonade bottles and the wrapping from the cake. A much lighter load for whoever carried it.

The terrain remained a combination of rock and scrub but flattened out more as they approached the summit, after about another half-hour John and Nancy were ahead of them all again with map and compass. They veered towards the left and then disappeared from view of the three women following.

"We must be close now." Peggy reasoned out loud, and they all quickened their pace to catch up and see if it was indeed so.

The track they had been following dipped down in to a small valley, and at its base there was an opening in the rock face, overgrown with saplings and brambles but visible enough to see that anyone entering it would have had to bend down quite low. Titty was at once reminded of Peter Duck's cave. She spoke.

"It's like Swallowdale." They all stood around, Nancy seemed unsure.

"Is this right spot John?"

"Within a degree or two I'm sure. There's so little around to take a bearing with."

"Shall we go in?" Peggy knew this would be Nancy's plan. Whereas she became practical.

"We're hardly equipped?" Her sister snorted in response.

"You don't want to find gold?" She was still an adventurer despite the real adventures of the war.

"And how would we mine it?" Nancy knew that now Peggy was mocking her.

They all stood at the edge of the valley just looking down at the opening to the old works, the trek had come to an end. All that could be done was to return to the cottage.

Titty broke the silence.

"I can tell you if there's gold."

47


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII

TITTY'S DISCOVERY

"**W**hat! How can you!" Nancy was cynical of Titty's assertion. "We're not going back to some Peter Duck nonsense, are we?"

This was unkind, and though she knew Nancy did not intend to be, for the second time Titty showed a side to her character that none of the others had witnessed before.

"Nancy, why do you always jump in and not give people a chance to explain themselves, and when you do jump in you so often get it wrong! Do you want to know if there is gold here or not?" As John had been the night before Nancy was now chastised. She looked shamefaced.

"Yes, of course. Sorry. Go on Titty. How can you tell?"

Her point made Titty's irritation subsided.

"Do you remember when I found water on the fells in the drought when we were prospecting?"

"Of course! Dowsing!" Nancy responded as if this was obvious.

"Well, when I first lived in London I found a dowser who taught me more about it, gave me lessons on how to do it properly. Then during the war I volunteered to dowse and help to find things after the bombings."

"What!" John seemed to be impressed. "During the Blitz?"

"Yes, well, after raids, I found a few unexploded bombs, but it was mainly bodies or people's belongings." Now John was incredulous after she had mentioned bombs.

"You!" Titty again was annoyed.

"Yes John, me, your flibbertigibbet little sister who just wasted her time having fun in the war."

"I've never said that!" John was now defensive. She was irritated.

"But you thought it, didn't you? Always going about what you were doing in the navy, what Susan was doing, what Roger was doing, but you never asked me what I was doing did you?" John looked sheepish.

"Well, you never said anything."

"Why should I have done? The others didn't."

Nancy interrupted.

"Look, stop it you two. Titty, do you really mean you can actually dowse for gold?" Titty was still irritated.

"Of course I can. You can dowse for anything."

Titty reached in to one of her pockets and pulled out a small red velvet bag. It bulged slightly and was kept closed with drawstrings. She opened the bag and drew out a plumb-bob that looked liked a wooden acorn, but about twice the size. Attached to one end of it was a fine chain about six inches long.

"You don't use a twig?" Nancy again was full of questions.

"No Nancy, you can use all kinds of things, for me this works better." Daisy was curious about the actual plumb-bob.

"What wood is that?"

"It's Bubinga, from Africa. You need to find out the response you will get to any questions you ask. It's easiest to start with how it will react for just 'yes' and 'no' and go from there making any question answerable in that way."

"Do you ask out loud?" Nancy again, Peggy shushed her.

"Yes, you can, but you can think about them too."

Ignoring them all she grasped the end of the chain not attached to the pendulum between her thumb and forefinger of her right-hand and held it away from her body almost at arms length, her arm relaxed so the pendulum was free to move. The pendulum started to swing gently back and forth almost naturally as expected, there was a look of concentration on Titty's face, and then the pendulum began to swing more regularly in an oval rotation but doing so in the opposite direction from before. After a few moments it changed direction once more but continued in the same oval motion.

"I'm ready." Nobody dare ask her what had just happened.

Titty climbed down the shallow side of the valley nearer to the opening, held the pendulum once more near the mouth of the workings, again there was a look of concentration on her face. They all watched as once again the pendulum swung and changed direction a number of times, Titty said nothing and seemed to be disconnected from them all.

As suddenly as she had begun she reached up with her left hand and brought the pendulum to a stop. She looked up at them.

"Do you want to know?" Again Nancy was the first to speak.

"Of course! What happened?"

"There is gold around this spot."

For a moment there was silence. John broke it.

"Are you sure?" Titty ignored him; she remembered how he had doubted she had found water in the fells.

"Find me a lump of rock that looks possible and we'll see." Nancy scrambled down the valley to the entrance of the workings and pulled at the trees and weeds that covered it, there were piles of rocks and heavy stones, at some time there must have been small rock falls at themouth. She picked each one up, glanced at it then cast it aside. She suddenly stopped having found one that looked as if it had a seam of metal.

"Titty!"

"Yes."

"Can you do that for this rock?"

"Of course." She stood away from Nancy. "Put it on the ground." Once Nancy had let go of it she held the pendulum over it. The pendulum swung as before, Titty concentrated as the pendulum changed direction a few times. Again she held the plumb-bob to stop it from moving.

Nancy asked what they all wanted to know.

"Is that gold?" Titty paused.

"I think so." Nancy whooped with pleasure. "Are you sure?"

"As I can be. I was about ninety percent successful during the war." John once again looked disbelieving.

"Ninety percent!"

"Yes, but others could do better."

"There were others?"

"Of course there was, you don't think it was just me do you!" John was chastised once more.

Titty put the pendulum back in its bag, and the bag back in her pocket. Nancy picked up the rock and wrapped it in her handkerchief and put it in the knapsack.

"We'll show Uncle Jim tonight. He'll know for sure."

Peggy looked at her watch.

"We should make a start back to the cottage."

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	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER XIII

RETURN JOURNEY

**A**s they set off back down the track to the lake and the cottage Titty once again found herself some way behind the others, and again Daisy dropped back to keep pace with her. The downhill trek was easier.

Titty was tired, not from the walking but from the dowsing, mentally tired. Daisy seemed to recognise this in her, though she said nothing, so Titty was pleased to have her company. Many times before she and Dot had always brought up the rear in such situations for similar reasons. Daisy then spoke clearly worried about her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course, it just takes it out of you. I'm not sure why, it always does. It frightened me the first time at the fells, has Nancy told you?"

"Only that you found water and saved the whole holiday!"

"Not quite, but it helped." There was more silence between them. The three others were animatedly chatting as they walked some way ahead of them. Daisy spoke again.

"Don't be too hard on John, you know he's trying to be the head of the family now your father's dead."

"I know, but he never wants to know what the rest of us have been doing." Titty retreated in to silence again.

Ahead of them the conversation between the other three was about the rock in the knapsack carried by Nancy. Peggy seemed unsure. "Do you really think its gold? We thought we'd found some on the fells."

"But Titty was so sure, Uncle Jim will know, or he'll show it to Timothy and he'll know."

"Do they own the workings?" John was concerned with the practicalities of the matter should it be gold. He was a naval officer and did not want to get involved in taking precious metals from someone else's land.

"I don't know, he just told me it was a new idea he and Timothy were interested in, and gave me the map reference."

"We'll ask him tonight. I wonder how much is in there?" Peggy had not seen the rock close up; Nancy had packed it away quickly, fearing that if Titty was right it needed to be kept hidden.

As always when going downhill and on return journeys, the trek back to the cottage was much quicker than finding the workings earlier in the day.

On their return they took turns at the pump and all washed and tidied themselves ready for dinner with Captain Flint at his hotel. When they were ready they left the cottage, John locked the door and everyone climbed in to the Land Rover, he had volunteered to sit in the back while the four women squashed together on the front bench seat.

Once they were comfortable Nancy started the engine and pulled away, speeding up the track to the hotel.

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	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER XIV

DISCOVERY REVEALED

**W**hen they arrived at Captain's Flint hotel, Nancy, who had entrusted John with the rock as she drove, still wrapped in her handkerchief, wanted it back, despite being Titty's discovery she would present it to him. Having all got out of the Land Rover Nancy took the rock from John and they made their way inside.

Once through the main door they found themselves in a large room with a desk, on it was a shop bell and an open register with names written in. To the back of the room opposite the door there was a staircase, and two corridors that led off to other rooms. In the corner of the room by the front window there were two armchairs. In one of them Captain Flint was seated, already waiting for them.

"Good, you're here. How was the trek in the hills? No, wait, let's go to the dining room and tell me then." He stood and led them down one of the corridors. They followed in single file, Nancy still clutching the wrapped up rock.

At the end of the corridor a door took them in to the dining room at the back of the hotel. There was only a few tables and three of the small ones had been pushed together to make one large one to accommodate all six of them. It seemed they were the only diners.

Once they were seated a middle-aged woman appeared through another door and spoke to Captain Flint.

"Mr Turner, what a grand sight, now which of these young ladies are your nieces?"

"These two Mrs Thomas." Uncle Jim pointed at Nancy and Peggy in turn, naming them as he did.

"Well Miss Peggy, I hear congratulations are in order, I suppose this young man," nodding towards John, "is your intended?" Peggy blushed but still managed to answer.

"Yes he is Mrs Thomas, I'm very lucky."

"Well good for you. Now welcome to you all, we have steak and kidney pudding or lamb chops tonight. What would you all like?"

Everyone chose the steak and kidney, and Uncle Jim asked Mrs Thomas for a jug of water, a bottle of lemonade and a jug of beer for John and himself. She bustled away through the door she had entered at the other end of the room.

"Now all of you, did you go to the mine?" Captain Flint asked, Nancy spoke up unable to contain herself any longer.

"We did, and we found something, well Titty did, can you have a look at it?" She handed him the handkerchief wrapped rock, which he then placed on the table between his knife and fork. Once he had unwrapped it he looked closely, and was aware that five pairs of eyes were watching him intently.

"Is this actually from inside the mine Nancy?"

"Well, the entrance." He picked the rock and held it nearer to a small lamp on the windowsill beside where he sat, he scratched at the metal seam with a fingernail and looked thoughtful. As he did so Mrs Thomas returned with a tray of glasses, the lemonade and jugs of water and beer, placing them all on the table. She looked at Captain Flint quizzically.

"Don't you drop that and break any of my glasses Mr Turner!"

He looked up.

"No Mrs Thomas I'll be wrapping it up again in a moment."

"Right you are, your dinner will be along in a short while." Away she went through the door to the kitchen. Captain Flint wrapped the rock once more in Nancy's handkerchief and passed it back to her.

"Well?!" Nancy was almost fit to bursting.

Uncle Jim paused and then answered her.

"I can't test it of course, but it looks, only looks, as if it could be gold."

The five of them all looked triumphant; especially the four of them who had attempted to find gold in the fells all those years before. Titty spoke her thoughts out loud.

"What a pity Dick isn't here to see it." John interrupted her wanting to ensure her part in the discovery was properly acknowledged, having once again doubted her abilities.

"You found it Titty, without you we would have left the workings empty-handed."

"Did she now!" Exclaimed Captain Flint.

"Yes Uncle Jim, she dowsed for it!" Peggy was ready to tell him all about how Titty had honed her dowsing skills during the war.

"Well done Titty, must have made a change from finding bodies and missing handbags!"

"You knew?" Nancy was slightly disappointed.

"Yes, of course, all of you were too busy, you relied on Titty to keep you informed but did you not notice she never told you about herself?" Peggy realised this was true, they all wanted to know about everyone, but as it was Titty who told them they never thought to ask about her.

"I'm sorry, we all are."

Titty was embarrassed.

"Don't be, please, it doesn't matter, I played my part when I could, it wasn't much. It was just Captain Flint was visiting me a few times when I got summoned to help, so I had to tell him why I had to rush off." Titty did not like this attention and was relieved when at that moment Mrs Thomas returned to the room with plates and dishes of food.

As Uncle Jim had told Nancy she would the evening before, they had a good dinner. Mrs Thomas was clearly a good cook and looked after her guests.

Between them there was much talk of the rock from the old workings containing gold, and explanations were made to Daisy about who Timothy was, the misunderstanding over his identity and the fire on the fells.

Mrs Thomas returned and cleared the empty plates and dishes, she then served them apple and blackberry pie with cream for their pudding, which Nancy and Peggy conceded was even better that those produced by Cook at Beckfoot. The matter of the gold continued to be their only topic of conversation.

Far away somewhere in the hotel they could hear the insistent ringing of a telephone. A few minutes after it happened Mrs Thomas reappeared in the room and spoke directly to John.

"You must be Lieutenant Walker I suppose, there's someone on the telephone for you, says he's from the admiralty." John got up and followed Mrs Thomas. Peggy sighed as he did so. Titty saw her.

"It was like this with father. Do you remember when we all met Daisy and the others after we'd sailed to Holland, that was nearly abandoned because he was stopped from taking his leave, he and mother were supposed to be there too. You'll get used to it when you're married." Nancy thought out loud.

"I suppose Susan is married to her career."

Captain Flint viewed it all in a more straightforward way.

"I'm afraid this looks like the end of your visit. I can't think of any other reasons they would telephone him, he's being recalled to his ship." John returned to the room and heard him.

"You're right Uncle Jim; I have to report by tomorrow afternoon, they're sending someone for me in the morning, sorry Peggy, and you Titty. We'd better get back to the cottage.

The gathering had come to an end; it was time for them to say their goodbyes to Captain Flint. He came outside with them to the Land Rover; they all thanked him for the dinner and left the rock in his care.

"Nancy, I'll let you know what Timothy thinks of it." Daisy answered him,

"I'll write to you, Ruth will never get around to it!"

"I will for gold!" She quickly answered.

Once more they all climbed in to the Land Rover and Nancy drove them back to the cottage, there they made their preparations to leave in the morning. Without John there seemed no point in staying.

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	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER XV

FAREWELL

**T**he next morning John was awake early, he got up, dressed and had breakfasted while the others still slept upstairs. The admiralty had told him to expect transport for his return to his ship by seven o'clock. He was packed and all ready to go at six-forty-five.

The kettle on the range seemed to be taking ages to boil and when it finally did he made a pot of tea and took a mug for each of the women upstairs, the noise of him climbing the stairs and his arrival in the room was enough to wake them all.

Peggy, who was not looking forward to their parting looked tearful, she was the first to speak.

"Are you all ready? Got everything?"

"Yes, all done, someone should be here soon." With this John left them all to drink their tea and he went back downstairs to wait.

By the time the Naval Land Rover pulled up outside the women had each pulled on some clothes and joined John downstairs, they sat around the table finishing their mugs of tea. None of them wanted John to go, especially Peggy, but they all knew he had to and such matters were in the hand of others. Titty was once again reminded of how their father was always being called away in such circumstances when they were children. John gave them all final instructions,

"If you can return they keys when you're ready to go, the address of the man in the village is on the table." Next to the keys there was a slip of paper which he had written on. Nancy took charge.

"Will do."

There was the noise of a vehicle outside, they all heard it park and then the engine was turned off. John then got up and opened the cottage door, a young looking Navy driver stood waiting by the newly arrived Land Rover, on seeing John he stood to attention and saluted. In return John made a cursory response, asked him if he would like some tea, which he declined and then asked him to go and sit in the vehicle.

"I'll be there in a few moments." John told him, and shut the door. His goodbyes were not for the young driver to witness.

In the cottage they all gathered around John who kissed each of them goodbye, leaving Peggy until last, hugging her close to him, he softly spoke to her.

"I love you."

Releasing her from his arms he picked up his belongings opened the door and made his way outside, climbed in to the Land Rover, and in a moment he had gone.

Nancy spoke.

"Come on now, heave too, there's a lot to be done."

* * *

><p>WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROCK<p>

**T**itty and Captain Flint were right. On returning to Beckfoot he and Timothy tested the metal with the laboratory apparatus in his study which confirmed it. He paid for the metal to be extracted by a metallurgist and the resulting gold was enough to make Peggy's wedding ring and a signet ring for Nancy emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. For Titty, the rest of the gold was fashioned in to an identity disk to thread on the fastening cords of her red velvet bag.

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